France to Pursue Libyan Link to '89 Bombing

By YOUSSEF M. IBRAHIM

Published: November 22, 1991

PARIS, Nov. 21—
President Francois Mitterrand hardened his tone toward Libya today by pledging to pursue charges that Libyan Government agents planted a bomb on a French airliner that exploded in midair in September 1989, killing 171 people.

"I personally feel strongly that the murders of our compatriots and of other nationals should not go unpunished," Mr. Mitterrand said at a news conference.

His comments followed the arrival here a few days ago of Khadaf al-Dam, the reputed head of Libyan intelligence services. Mr. Dam has been trying to persuade French officials of Libya's innocence in the bombing.

There were also reports from Tunis that Libya was trying to rally support in the Arab world by calling for an Arab League meeting to discuss American and British threats of punitive action against Libya over its alleged complicity in the bombing a Pan Am airliner over Scotland in 1988, in which 270 died. Formal indictments against two Libyan Government employees were issued in Britain and the United States last week.

A ranking Arab diplomat here said that there was "little enthusiasm" among Arabs to publicly support Libya's denials of involvement in the two bombings, but that virtually all Arab countries were "adamantly opposed" to any concerted military action against Libya.

The diplomat added, however, that the Arabs would not strongly oppose any other actions.

"If the United States, France and Britain go for economic sanctions, there will not be much that the Arab League could or would do," said the diplomat, who asked for anonymity.

Mr. Mitterrand's assertion that he will push the judicial inquiry "as far as the French judicial system demands"increases the possibility that the European Community will impose broader sanctions against Libya.

France imports little Libyan oil, and Britain is self-sufficient in energy, but according to Ira B. Joseph of Petroleum Intelligence Weekly, four other Community members -- Italy, Greece, Germany and Spain -- together consume about one-half of Libya's oil exports. Oil accounts for about 90 percent of the country's exports. The United States already boycotts Libyan oil.

Mr. Mitterrand did not specify what actions France would take against Libya if it failed to deliver four Libyan officials, including a brother-in-law of Col. Muammar el-Qaddafi, to the French authorities. Arrest warrants for the four were issued on Oct. 30 in Paris in connection with the 1989 bombing, in which a DC-10 of the French airline U.T.A. exploded over Niger.

The increasingly stern attitude taken by France toward Libya contrasts sharply with the mood of optimism and friendliness that this country tried to foster in the European Community only a few weeks ago, when it advocated the lifting of sanctions that have been in place against Libya.

Three days before the indictments were handed down in Paris, Foreign Minister Roland Dumas said in Algiers that it was time "to turn the page" with Libya and lift economic sanctions imposed by Europe in 1986 for Libya's reported support of terrorism.

Like the United States and Britain, France did not repeat earlier assertions implicating Syria and Iran in the two airplane bombings.

Arab diplomats here say that the three nations appear to have singled out Libya for blame as it is largely isolated in the Arab world today and has been a vociferous critic of the Middle East peace conference that convened last month in Madrid. -------------------- Libya Rejects Extradition

LONDON, (Reuters) -- Libya's Foreign Minister told the British Broadcasting Corporation today that he had rejected a request by Britain to hand over the two men charged with murder and conspiracy in the bombing of Pan Am Flight 103 over Scotland.

In an interview with BBC World Service radio's Arabic service, the official, Ibrahim Mohamed Bashari, repeated denials that Libya was in any way involved with the December 1988 bombing over the town of Lockerbie.